A Surprise to Remember
by FictionWriter91
Summary: Instead of Steve returning from his mission of putting back the stones, someone else shows up.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey all, so I updated this as I have now seen all but two of the Avenger films. I also added a third chapter cos I'm awesome like that :) Enjoy!**

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Steve was finishing his mission of returning all the infinity stones, and he only had one left: the soul stone. He appeared at Vormir and felt nauseous. This was where Natasha had died. Breathing in deep and exhaling, he stepped forward. He made his way towards the mountain, and he wondered what he was going to find. He had saved this one for last because he had known how hard it was going to be. His plan was to bury Natasha if he found her to at least give her some kind of proper send off. After everything she had been through and done for the world and the team, she deserved that. He made his way to the top of the mountain and waited. Where was he supposed to put this stone? He looked around.

"What is it you seek?" a voice asked. The hair on Steve's arms jumped straight up as he turned to face the hooded, hovering figure behind him.

"I am here to return the soul stone," Steve answered. The shape moved forward, and Steve saw his face.

"We meet again," Red Skull sneered.

"Y-you?!" Steve exclaimed.

"This is where I ended up, yes," Red Skull said flatly.

"So you didn't die after all," Steve commented. He felt angry about this. How many more people from his past were going to show up having survived this long like he had? He doubted that Red Skull had been frozen.

"No. It seems my punishment for trying to control the stones is to put me here to forever stay," Red Skull replied.

"You shouldn't have even tried."

"You will never understand."

"No, I won't. I've seen what happens when someone has all the power, though. It didn't end well."

"Good for them for doing what I couldn't."

"They died."

"Well, at least they had succeeded first."

"We undid it," Steve said, the urge to punch this skullish face in front of him was strong. He clenched his fist. Red Skull contemplated the man standing before him for a moment, wondering what he meant, but he didn't ask. He was annoyed at seeing this super soldier in front of him. His anger towards Captain America was always on the surface. Red Skull blamed him for ending up on Vormir, for thwarting his plans.

"So why are you here? Come to kill me? I'm afraid it's impossible," Red Skull scoffed. Steve didn't want to be in his presence any longer than he had to be, so he got to the point.

"I am returning the soul stone," Steve said, holding it out to him. He wondered if it was wise to have someone such as Red Skull guard this stone, but clearly he was unable to use it. Red Skull waved his arm, and the stone floated up and out of sight.

"Seems foolish to return something powerful like that," Red Skull said.

"We don't need it anymore," Steve replied carefully.

"So you think," Red Skull scoffed.

"What do you know about the sacrifices to get this stone?" Steve asked. He had to know.

"They usually end up down there," Red Skull pointed, and Steve looked towards the edge of the cliff where the wind was whistling and thrashing every which way. He turned back, but Red Skull was already floating away, leaving Steve feeling awkward and a little stunned. Why was Red Skull even here? Shaking off the encounter, Steve went to look for Natasha's body. He felt shivers as he looked as though he was being watched. He carefully climbed down the mountain and went to where she should be at the bottom. He stood directly below where the ledge was above that Red Skull had gestured to, but there was no Natasha.

"Okay," Steve said. "This can't be right." He looked around again. Where was she? Had Red Skull done something to her? He was about to call for that ugly bastard and find out when a shout made his hair stand up.

"Steve?!"

Steve whipped around at her voice, and he felt as though he was in a dream. She couldn't be, could she?

"Nat?" he whispered, almost afraid of the answer.

"Oh my God, Steve!" Natasha shouted, rushing forward to hug him tightly. Taken aback, Steve reflexively hugged her back.

"How are you...?" he started, but his voice faltered. He couldn't understand it.

"My death was an illusion," Natasha explained, pulling back. "It looked as though I had died, but I didn't. I was meant to stay here forever with no way home. I'd rather die than that, but here you are! You can take me home." She looked at Steve expectantly. He felt elated for about five seconds before he realized what this could mean for his original plan.

"Steve?" she prompted, looking at him.

"Uh, yea," he answered. "I can take you home."

"You look unhappy," she noted. "Is it something I said?" She laughed nervously. She wanted to leave this damn planet. Steve calculated in his head what he could do. It should work, but he felt worried.

"Steve?" she said again, reaching out and touching his hand.

"All right. I can get you out of here, but there's one stop I have to make first," Steve said. It would be enough. He had made sure of that. If worse came to worse, he'd get more pym particles.

"Where are we going?" she asked as he took her hand in his tightly.

"1945," he answered.

"Wha-?!" Natasha started, but then they were gone.

...

They landed hard on the ground. Natasha felt the wind get knocked out of her, and she rolled onto her side, trying to get it back. Steve coughed as he lay on his stomach on the ground.

"What the hell?" she asked, gasping for air finally.

"Sorry," Steve apologized. He pushed himself up and sat on his haunches. Natasha sat up and looked around.

"Why are we here, Steve?" she asked. He looked at her.

"I'm staying here," he answered.

"What?" she asked.

"I want to try living life like Tony suggested."

"I don't understand."

"I'm not asking you to. Look, you can go back to 2023, but I'm staying here," Steve said firmly. He took off his time travel suit and and handed it to her.

"I feel weird leaving you here," Natasha said.

"It's okay. Trust me," Steve replied.

"Thank you for coming back for me," Natasha said as she zipped up the suit. She looked at him intently. "I would have stayed there forever if you hadn't."

"If you didn't die, then do you think Thanos's daughter is still alive too?" Steve asked. Natasha looked thoughtful.

"You could be right. I'll mention it when I get back."

"Good luck," Steve nodded. "And Nat? It's so good to see you."

"And yet you're saying goodbye so soon," Natasha said sadly. He hugged her again tightly.

"I have to do this."

"I know."

"They will get quite a shock when you show up instead of me," Steve laughed.

"Be careful, and I hope you find what you're looking for," Natasha said.

"Oh, I will," Steve promised.

"One more thing," she said.

"Sure."

"Did we win? Is everyone back?" She had to know. Was her sacrifice worth it?

"Yea, Nat," Steve nodded. "Everyone's back."

"Oh thank God," she breathed.

"Take care," Steve smiled.

"You too," she said. She squeezed his arm one last time before activating the time travel. Steve felt glad that he had found her, that she got a second chance at life just like he was about to get. He turned and looked over at the building in front of him. Peggy was going to be absolutely stunned when she saw him. He couldn't wait.

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**Stay tuned for the reactions of the others when Nat shows up instead of Steve :)**


	2. Chapter 2

Bruce, Bucky, and Sam were watching the platform for Steve's return. Bucky had a feeling that Steve wasn't going to come back, so he was surprised when a figure showed up. Looking more closely, however, the person wasn't as tall as Steve and not as broad in the shoulders. Puzzled, Bucky looked at Sam, who shrugged. Bruce, however, stared at the figure, his hand on the lever.

"No way," he said. His heart was hammering. The figure reached to remove their helmet, and Natasha's face was exposed.

"Holy shit," Sam said, recognizing her. Bruce moved towards her quickly.

"Hi," she said, smiling up at him. Bruce pulled her into a tight embrace, feeling himself start to cry.

"Nat," he said. "Nat, Nat, Nat." He felt like he was stuck on repeat, but he didn't care.

"I'm okay, Bruce," she promised, a couple of tears leaking out of her own eyes too.

"Come on," Bucky said, patting Sam's shoulder. "Let's give them a minute." They both turned, and that was when they saw the figure sitting on the bench. Bucky knew instantly who it was. They walked toward him, leaving Natasha and Bruce behind them.

"I can't believe it," Bruce kept saying, patting her head and arms affectionately. "I just...I thought you were gone. I tried so hard to bring you back, and here you are. What happened?"

"I jumped off a cliff, and instead of dying, I kind of just floated, like I was on water. To Clint, I looked dead, though, but I couldn't tell him I was alive. He left me there, and then Steve showed up. He let me use his pym particle to get here."

"Where is Steve?" Bruce asked her.

"He went to 1945," Natasha answered. They both caught sight of Sam talking to an old man then, and Natasha covered her mouth with her hands.

"Is that...?" Bruce started. She nodded and stepped forward. The elderly Steve saw her and smiled.

"You made it," he said. Natasha moved in to hug him.

"You look happy," she noted once she pulled back.

"I got to live my life," Steve said, smiling. Sam was standing there holding the shield that Steve had used countless times, a shocked look still on his face.

"I'm glad," Natasha said, kissing his cheek.

"Now go live yours," Steve told her.

"I will," she promised. She squeezed his hand one last time before rejoining Bruce.

"I'm glad you're back, Nat," Bruce said, looking at her intently. "Words can't even express...I'm just so happy."

"Me too," she smiled. She squeezed Bruce's hand tightly, knowing that they had a lot of talking to do once things settled down. There was just one other person she needed to see first.

...

Clint sat beside the rock he had used to mark Nat's makeshift grave. It was the first thing he had done upon returning from Tony's funeral. He wanted Nat to have just as much recognition. He and his family had stood around and shared favorite memories and stories of Nat together. She would have loved it. Clint rested his back against the tree, feeling the wind on his face. It still seemed surreal that she was gone. He couldn't get the image of her lying on the ground dead out of his mind either. It was affecting his sleep and ability to think at times. He stared off into space, thinking, when his younger son appeared before him.

"Dad?" Nathaniel said, poking him.

"Huh?" Clint asked, returning to the present. His son looked at him. "What's up, buddy?"

"Mum says lunch is ready," Nathaniel answered.

"Oh. Okay. Thanks," Clint said, reaching out to pat his son's shoulder. He would never know what their experience was like when they were gone from The Snap, and he hoped that they didn't remember it. They didn't seem to. Nathaniel walked ahead while Clint struggled to his feet.

"I know you did this for me," Clint said to the rock on the ground, hoping Nat could hear him. Nathaniel had painted Nat's name on it along with a flower. "But I still feel empty without you here." He turned to follow his son then, and he wondered how he was going to get through the day when he heard Nathaniel shout in excitement. Clint's head snapped up, and he saw a figure standing halfway from the house waiting for them. Nathaniel was running as fast as he could. Clint stared and blinked. Then he looked harder.

"No," he said to himself. It couldn't be. The figure bent to pick up Nathaniel and spin him around. Then Clint heard his son's words as he shouted with glee.

"Faster, Auntie Nat, faster!"

"Oh my God," Clint said, bursting into a run. "Nat?! Nat!" He saw the rest of his family come out of the house and shriek with amazement. Nat and Nathaniel hit the ground laughing, the spinning having made them dizzy and fall. Clint did a baseball style slide on his knees down beside them, grabbing Nat's face with his hands while Nathaniel squeezed her around the middle tightly.

"Nat?" Clint said, surveying her face. "Nat?"

"Yes, Clint. I'm Nat," she smirked.

All the emotion he had been feeling since her death rose to the surface, and he choked as he pulled her up and hugged her tightly.

"You're crushing me," she coughed, patting his back. Clint released her and let her breathe. He wiped at his eyes. By this time, Lila and Cooper were upon her, and Nat hugged them tightly and rocked them back and forth. Then Laura went in for a hug.

"This is the best surprise ever!" Cooper shouted.

"We thought you were gone," Lila said. "What happened?"

"It's a long story," Nat answered.

"Well, you're just in time for lunch," Laura said. "Come in and tell us about it."

"I'll be right behind you," Nat assured her. "I just want a minute with Clint."

"Okay," Laura nodded knowingly. She herded the children into the house. They went reluctantly. They were afraid if they looked away Nat would disappear again.

"Surprise," Nat said to Clint once they were inside.

"How is this possible?" he asked her. "That red faced jerkwad said a soul for a soul. How are you here right now?"

"You were right in that he was messing with us," Nat told him. "I didn't actually die although to you it looked like I had."

"And I left you there," Clint said. Somehow this made him feel worse.

"You disappeared after I fell," Nat explained. Clint remembered then he did come to in the middle of a shallow lake with the stone in his hand. The mountain had been nowhere to be seen.

"But I saw you..." he started. Her face. The blood.

"It wasn't real," she said firmly. "I was going to be stuck on Vormir forever until Steve showed up."

"Steve?"

"He returned the stone, and he found me. Well, I found him, but it doesn't matter. I'm here now," Nat smiled.

"I'm so sorry," Clint managed to say around the lump in his throat.

"For what? It was my decision. You and the others are my family, and I would do anything for my family. It was also the best thing I could have done to get rid of the red in my book," Nat told him, squeezing his arms tightly. "My sacrifice to bring everyone back was the ultimate atonement. I do not regret doing it. I feel free now."

"I hear what you're saying, but it still didn't feel good," Clint said.

"Well, then it's a good thing I didn't actually die, isn't it?" she asked, tilting her head at him and smiling. He couldn't help but smile back at her and chuckle. He had missed her so much.

"I saved you a seat, Auntie Nat!" Nathaniel called. "Beside me!"

"No, she's sitting beside me," Cooper interrupted.

"If she's sitting with anyone, it's me," Lila corrected.

"See? It was worth it," Nat said, gesturing. She went inside then, and Clint watched from the doorway as she made Nathaniel laugh as she gave him a noogie. Laura joined him as Nat explained her solution to the three children.

"I can sit beside two of you," she reasoned, "but the person who sits across from me gets the best view." This caused a kerfuffle between the children over who was going to sit across from her. Lila won.

"It's good to see you smiling again," Laura said, patting Clint's chest before going to sit at the table herself. Clint breathed in deep and exhaled. Nat caught his eye and winked, and he laughed. He couldn't ask for a better ending and a new beginning.

"Come on in, the water's warm," Nat called, teasing. He laughed again and went to join them. This was indeed the best surprise ever, a surprise to remember.

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**I may or may not add to this. I'm not sure yet. Thank you to those who did review. It meant a lot to me! I hope this chapter was just as good. If you like my ideas/writing, then don't hesitate to check out A Proper Goodbye and A Ghost Named Natasha ;)**


	3. Chapter 3

**Here is a surprise chapter for you all. I don't know if I'll write anymore chapters after this one (I know I keep saying that, but I feel it's finished now). I did update chapter 1 too since I am caught up on all the films now aside from two. Thank you to those who reviewed, followed, and favorited! Happy reading.**

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**A Few Days Later**

Natasha stood looking at Tony's grave, feeling a sadness in her soul. She felt guilty that she had found her way back and he would forever be lost. She felt even guiltier that Tony's daughter, Morgan, would grow up without a daddy because of Thanos. Nat clenched her fists and her jaw at this. Thanos. She was relieved to hear he had been killed, but he had caused so much pain and suffering.

"He wouldn't have wanted it any other way," a voice said, making Nat turn around. Steve waved at her, and she smiled.

"What are you doing out here?" she asked. It was on the verge of raining. She didn't know exactly how old Steve was, but she knew he was old enough to catch a cold and possibly die from it.

"I come to say hi often," Steve replied, gesturing to the gravestone. "I'm sure soon enough I'll be saying hi to him in the afterlife."

Nat felt cold at this even though she knew Steve was going to die from old age at some point. It was a difficult adjustment seeing him like this. He smiled at her, knowing what she was thinking.

"I'm happy with my decision," he told her.

"What did she say when she saw you?" Nat asked. She wanted to know. She stood up to stand beside him, and they started walking while Steve looked thoughtful.

"She cried," he answered after a moment. "When I walked through the door at 8pm sharp to that dance hall, she burst into tears, and I couldn't make a lick of sense of anything she said for the first five minutes until she stopped crying." He chuckled at this now.

"She must have thought she was never going to see you again," Nat noted.

"I know. She said as much."

"So, how did things go after that? I mean, did you stay together? Did you get the life you wanted?"

"Oh yes. We started to date each other, and then I proposed to her about eight months later. We got married in the spring of '47," Steve said, his eyes far away at this point. Nat figured he was remembering it.

"I bet it was beautiful."

"It was. She was gorgeous. We were both nervous of course, but it was a good nervous, you know?"

"So, how did you not get involved with everything that happened since?" Nat asked. "I mean, you knew it was going on, right?"

"I did. As Banner explained, though, my going back did not change anything, so my other self was out there fighting those battles."

"You never worried about bumping into him?" Nat asked, curious.

"No. Peggy and I moved far away and kept to ourselves," Steve answered. "I knew I could trust her with what I had done, and she understood I had to stay off grid."

"It must have felt so strange, living a second life while your double was out there," Nat said, looking at him.

"I got used to it," Steve laughed. Then he coughed. Nat put her hand on his arm, concerned, but he stopped after a moment. He patted his chest.

"These lungs are getting old," he teased. Nat gave him a look, and they continued walking until they reached a pavilion where they stood watching the rain come down.

"I'm assuming Peggy passed away?" Nat asked after a while. Steve bowed his head.

"Yea. The same time as before. It was...hard."

"Did you have any children?" Nat questioned. He pursed his lips for a moment, contemplating on whether or not he should respond. He looked at her, and he decided he could trust her.

"A boy and a girl," he answered. "But that's between you and me."

"Got it," Nat nodded. She smiled then. "You must have been so proud."

"I felt way out of my league for a while," Steve laughed. "But they're great kids."

"Are they still alive?"

"Oh, yes. James is late sixties, and Natasha is early seventies."

"You named your daughter after me?" Nat asked, surprised. She felt tears in her throat then.

"I did," he nodded. "You saved us all, Nat. Without you, we would not have succeeded in defeating Thanos, and I wanted to honor you. You're also one of my best friends." He smiled at her then.

"Oh, Steve," she said, hugging him then. He hugged her back, patting her a little.

"I've got grandkids and great-grandkids too," he said afterwards while she was wiping her eyes.

"Aw really?"

"Yea."

"Does James know who he's named after?" Nat asked, remembering.

"He sure does," Steve nodded.

"Do any of them have any...powers?" Nat questioned, curious.

"That's my secret," Steve winked, making her laugh.

"Okay. I won't pry."

"I should get home, though," he said, looking around them as the rain slowed down.

"Thank you," Nat said to him.

"For what?"

"For bringing me home, for doing everything you did, for being you," she said. He smiled.

"It's my pleasure, Nat," he told her. She hugged him tightly again, wondering how long he would be with them. When they pulled back, he gave a small wave and started on his way towards an idling car. She saw it was Bucky at the wheel, and she waved. He waved back. She watched Steve get inside and the car drive away. She was glad he got the life he wanted with Peggy.

...

"You doing okay?" Bruce asked when Nat returned to their new headquarters. It was a bit cramped with everyone, but she didn't know how long she was going to stay here. She was thinking of traveling for a bit, getting reacquainted with living instead of fighting.

"I am," she nodded, removing her wet coat and hanging it up. She was still getting used to Bruce in his Hulk form and not having him smash everything to pieces in an instant's notice.

"You went to see Tony?" Bruce questioned.

"I did. I still can't believe he's gone."

"Neither can we, but without him doing that snap, none of us would be here," Bruce said sadly. Nat didn't respond. She knew all about making sacrifices. She didn't tell Bruce that she had nightmares of falling off that cliff and watching Clint screaming her name as she fell.

"Of course, we wouldn't be here without you either," Bruce said quickly, remembering.

"What about Thanos's daughter?" Nat said suddenly, changing the subject. "She wasn't on Vormir."

"She was brought here from a different timeline," Bruce answered.

"But...if I'm not dead, then she shouldn't be either. She'll have two versions of herself in this timeline," Nat said, frowning. Bruce frowned as well, scratching his head. He had wondered about Nat's story of floating and not dying. He wondered if Steve returning the stone brought Nat back to life and instead of her remembering dying and death, the memory of floating and being frozen was planted into her mind instead. It would explain why Gamora did not return because Thanos had destroyed the stones instead of returning them. Bruce looked at her then, and she was examining his expression.

"You think I died," she said after a moment. She felt her heart rate pick up. How could she have died when she remembered looking up at Clint?

"I...I think that perhaps you did, and Steve returning the stone brought you back. What you're remembering isn't what happened," Bruce said carefully.

"I don't understand," Nat said.

"I don't really understand it either," Bruce confessed, "but it's the only thing that makes sense to me. Unless I really did bring you back when I did the reverse snap. What do you remember before seeing Steve?"

Nat thought hard. What did she remember? She couldn't think of anything. It was fuzzy and dark. It had been warm. She remembered feeling peaceful for some reason. She sat down then, feeling dizzy. Had she really been dead until Steve had gotten there?

"I...I don't remember," she said slowly. "All I remember is seeing Steve standing there and thinking I was stranded until he showed up, that my death had been an illusion."

"It's okay, Nat," Bruce said kindly. "The biggest thing is you're back, and you're here. You're not dead."

"But I was," Nat said, feeling panicky. She had been dead but didn't remember it. She hated having memory gaps.

"Nat," Bruce said as she got up and went to her room. She closed the door, breathing hard. She had died after all. It explained why Clint gave her that look when she had told him her story. She buried her face into her hands, trying to calm down. She had died, but Steve had brought her back. The harder she tried to remember what she was doing before Steve got there, the more it slipped from her grasp. It was a bunch of nothingness. She felt her phone vibrate then, and she saw it was Clint.

"Hi," she said.

"Hey," he said back. "You okay?"

"Did Bruce tell you?"

"Yea. He's worried about you. I thought I'd check in."

"I died, Clint."

"I know."

"Why can't I remember it?"

"Because you wouldn't," Clint answered logically.

"I saw you disappear, though."

"I don't know what to say, Nat," Clint said. She heard him sigh. She didn't know how to explain anything anymore. She had been so certain she had been frozen but alive, watching him disappear. Maybe she had lived long enough to see that before she died. It made her head hurt.

"Why would I think I was floating?"

"Maybe your mind is giving you answers that explain what happened to you to help it make sense," Clint suggested. Nat rubbed her brow with her fingers, knowing that no matter how hard she tried, she wouldn't ever know what really happened to her.

"If Gamora came from a different timeline to this one, why can't we bring Tony from one to now?" she asked, changing the subject. Her death or floating or whatever the hell she experienced was going to have to stay unanswered. She was alive. She didn't want to think about it anymore.

"We've thought about it."

"Then why not do it?"

"I don't know if it's the right thing to do," Clint answered.

"What do you mean?"

"I don't think he'd want us to do that."

Nat felt cold again. If given the choice, would she have decided to stay dead? She didn't know if Tony would make that choice, especially if his past self found out he had a daughter and was married.

"So, if you could have brought me back from a different timeline, you wouldn't have," Nat said, realizing they could have for her as well.

"We didn't have to. Steve brought you back first," Clint reminded her.

"And if he hadn't?"

"I would have suggested it."

"So why for me and not for Tony?"

Clint was silent for a moment.

"Pepper said no."

Nat inhaled sharply at this. How could Pepper say no? How could she let her daughter live without Tony?

"Why?" she asked, finding her voice.

"Tony left her a message saying to not to," Clint replied. "Pepper's just doing what he asked."

"Why would he...?"

"I don't know, Nat. All I know is he wanted it this way," Clint interrupted. Nat gripped the phone tightly in her hands.

"Okay," she finally said.

"Why don't you come out and see the kids again?" Clint suggested. "Get your mind off all of this."

"I think I'm going to travel for a while," she answered. "But thank you."

"Travel?" Clint asked, the meaning in his voice clear.

"Not time travel, Clint. Regular, old fashioned plane travel," she said, snorting.

"All right. Just checking."

"Thanks for calling."

"Nat, try not to get tangled up in trying to make sense of what happened to you. Remember, you were on a planet in outer space. Maybe that had something to do with it. Just know that we're glad you're back."

"I know, Clint," Nat said. She could spend forever trying to figure it out, but he was right. It would only keep her tangled up and stressed out.

"I'm here anytime, okay?"

"Okay."

They hung up, and Nat fiddled with her phone in her hands. She knew that if it had been her wishes to leave her dead, she would want people to follow them. She had to believe Clint when he said Tony's message said he wanted it that way. She crawled into her bed then, hoping for no nightmares that night. Her mind wandered after a while. It surprised her how much she missed Tony. He had been annoying at times, but he had meant well and genuinely cared for the world and everyone in it. She guessed she just wanted him to have a second chance the way she had been given one. She knew she had to let him go, just like she had to let go of what had happened to her. One day she would, she knew that. Some things just didn't have answers or make sense. She'd been given a bonus round of life, and she was going to live it to the fullest. Tony would want her to, just like he wanted Steve to. For now, it was time to sleep.

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**I'm not sure how I feel about this chapter. I guess it's just more about Nat's thoughts and feelings and some closure for her regarding Steve and Tony. I hope you all enjoyed! If you like my stories, feel free to check out A Family, which is my latest story. Until next time!**


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